Postcard from Leon, Spain: Regional specialties to ‘Best Burger in Spain’

postcardsfromsanantonioLeave a comment
A colorful Spanish postage stamp featuring a flower design made of various food items, celebrating León as the Capital of Gastronomy in 2018.

Above: A generous serving of cecina, thinly sliced cured beef, at Casa Divi.

As do most cities in Spain, Leon prides itself on its regional specialties, many involving meat. The meats of the Castilla y Leon region are indeed delicious, but sometimes we did seek out a few workarounds. The following are the spots we visited, listed in alphabetical order.

A slice of golden-brown savory pancake on a decorative blue and white floral plate.
Above: Tortilla de patatas from Bar El Gallinero.

Never had we spent such a long period in Spain without a classic egg and potato tortilla. To remedy that, Lamar researched where to find the best one in the city. To do that he had to go to a bar, Bar el Gallinero. Open only at night and about as popular a spot on the tapa circuit as you can find.

Continue reading “Postcard from Leon, Spain: Regional specialties to ‘Best Burger in Spain’” →

Postcard from Guadalajara, Mexico: La Zaponita worked miracles; others prophesized doom

postcardsfromsanantonioLeave a comment
A vintage postal stamp commemorating the centenary of Guadalajara, Mexico, featuring an illustration of the Templo de Zapopan, dated 1542 and 1942.

Above: Detail of an outdoor sculpture by Javier Marin (1962-) on a plaza in Zapopan.

When the sculpture opens its eyes, it already has a soul.”

Sculptor Javier Marin

Arriving barefoot in what was then a village outside of Guadalajara, Spanish-born Fray Antonio de Segovia (1485-1570) bore a doll-size figure of the Virgin Mary around his neck. This effigy was believed to protect him on his journeys thoughout the Tonallan Kingdom as he sought to convert the Native Americans under the rule of Queen Cihualpilli Tzapotzinco. The queen herself was among his converts, and Fray Antonio established an abbey and presented the converts of this village with the statuette he had worn for ten years.

The statue was made by Purépecha Indians in Pátzcuaro using traditional methods. First, a skeleton was constructed out of sugar canes and cornstalks. Then, a special paste or dough called tatzingueni was applied to flesh out the figure. This tatzingueni was made of corn stalk pulp and the juice of a local orchid which gave the paste a latex quality and would prevent the finished product from rotting or spoiling.”

“The Virgin of Zapopan,” Robert Bitto, Mexico Unexplained

Continue reading “Postcard from Guadalajara, Mexico: La Zaponita worked miracles; others prophesized doom” →

American Modernism and ever-changing digital art at the Blanton

postcardsfromsanantonio4 Comments
A colorful stamp featuring abstract artwork by Marsden Hartley, with bold geometric shapes and vibrant colors, labeled 'forever' and 'usa'.

Above: “Flight of the Thielens,” Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975). “In September 1938, a disastrous hurricane barreled through a Martha’s Vineyard town…. Benton’s painting of the destructive storm depicts his neighbors – the painter Virginia Berresford, her husband, writer Benedict Thielen, and their cook, Josephine ‘Lucy’ Clarke – as they fled their home…. Unable to swim, Clarke was pulled out to sea by 25-foot waves…. Benton depicts her tragic final moments as she reaches up for help… just beyond Thielen’s grasp.” Blanton curatorial notes, “American Modernism from the Charles Butt Collection.”

An interesting dip into American Modernism drawn from the private art collection of Charles Butt (Butt as in the “B” of H-E-B) is on loan to the Blanton Museum of Art until August 2. Eighty diverse works are assembled for the exhibition, “American Modernism from the Charles Butt Collection.” A snapshot of these and several other current exhibits follows.

Continue reading “American Modernism and ever-changing digital art at the Blanton” →